Kubo and the Heaven's Mask
by Literaturefangirl
Summary: A stolen heirloom from his father's office and the recent thefts of artifacts puts Kubo and his family on the opposing path of a thief wielding powerful magic (Modern Day Kubo Universe)
1. Theft

A young boy hovering in place with a shamisen in his arms, suspended by a flock birds. It's not what you'd expect from a typical school boy's drawing. But for the hero of our story, that very drawing is his reality. One that he keeps very close to his heart.

"What are you drawing, Kubo?" A curious classmate seated next to him, asked.

"Nothing!" Kubo instinctively covered his drawing with his arm, shielding it from his class mate's prying eyes, which only served in heightening her curiosity.

"I just want to see!" The girl reached over his arm and plucked the drawing from his desk.

"Is that a guitar? And are you flying like a bird?!"

"Give it back!" Kubo cried out. The loudness of his voice startling the girl, making her fall from her chair; the first omen of the day's troubles for our protagonist, but that really was the least of it.

High up on the top floor of Kabutomushi Incorporated, its CEO Hanzo watched as the setting sun cast shadows across his office. For him, working late was customary. Another part of the job of running a multinational sports gear corporation. As he stuffed papers into his briefcase to finish up for the day, his eyes drifted to one of his most prized possessions sitting on his desk; the eyepiece of a mask.

Handed down to him by his father. It was said to contain great power that would allow its owner to see into the future. Such a story had no truth to it, but it served as a reminder to Hanzo to "Keep his eyes on the future."

That was what his father had told him anyway and they were words that Hanzo lived by. As a family heirloom, Hanzo considered the artifact a lucky charm of sorts. But not even such charm could offer protection, as Hanzo was struck from behind by a mysterious assailant, rendering him unconscious.

A table set for three, with only two people seated. This was a scene that Kubo was quite acquainted with. Tonight, the usual quiet atmosphere made waiting for his mother's confrontation about the trouble he caused that day all the more agonizing.

"I spoke with Mrs. Kameyo today. She confiscated _this_." Sariatu pulled out Kubo's drawing from the morning's class and held it out for him to see. "She also said you _pushed_ a girl off her chair to get it from her." Sariatu finished with an accusing tone that sounded both angry and disappointed.

"I didn't push her off! She lost her balance and she snatched it from _me_!" Kubo tried to explain, but his mother had other concerns.

"You shouldn't have drawn that picture in the first place! I told you to keep your magic a secret. You _know_ what would happen if people discovered your secret." Sariatu anxiously reminded him.

As descendants of gods from the heavens, Sariatu and Kubo possessed magic that few mortals could understand. The people of their modern world would surely fear them and call for their destruction or succumb to temptation and seek their power for themselves.

"They'd take me away and I'd never see you again. _I know_ , _I know_." Kubo recited the words repeated to him so many times. The familiar words repeated back making his mother fall silent.

"Mother, when is father coming home? He's very late." Kubo broke the silence with the subject of his absent father. Kubo was used to dinners with only his mother present and his father's habit of arriving late, but now that it seemed like he wouldn't return at all, Kubo was beginning to worry.

"You know how busy your father can be sometimes. Don't worry, he'll be home soon." Sariatu tried to reassure her son.

"That's what you said yesterday." Kubo muttered under his breath. His mother's words clearly having little effect.

Near total darkness. That was the sight that Hanzo was greeted with after waking from a period of unconsciousness that had lasted hours. With the meagre guidance of starlight and lighting from nearby skyscrapers, Hanzo made it across the end of the office and felt a light switch by the door frame.

Turning the lights on, and turning around, Hanzo noticed a large desk in the centre of the room.

"What… is this place?" Hanzo asked, his mind a total blank.

* * *

 **After seeing Kubo and the Two Strings I wanted a way for the Kubo family to be together and still be alive. So I came up with the concept of a modern day universe with the Kubo cast, a new villain but with a familiar three-part quest.**


	2. Loss

Stuck in an unfamiliar room with no one to indicate where he might be, Hanzo took a closer look at his surroundings. On the desk stood a black name plaque, giving the desk a professional look. He wondered who it belonged to. Beside the plaque was a metal stand, what it was for was beyond him.

The final item on the desk was a picture frame, containing a photo of a family of three. On the right was a man with greying hair, wearing a dark blue suit. In the middle stood a boy with a long fringe curiously obscuring his right eye. To the left of the boy was a woman, with long black hair and a pale complexion. Hanzo marvelled at her beauty and envied whoever was lucky enough to be her family. Such envy did not last very long, once he spied his own reflection in the window of the building, because the husband of such a heavenly woman, he concluded was himself.

Filled with joy from the discovery that he had a family, Hanzo fumbled through his pocket to find his wallet. Inside the wallet was his driver's license which revealed his home address. With his memory not up to the task of navigating the streets, Hanzo left the building and hailed a taxi. Leaving Hanzo without the stress of having to locate his house.

After an hour's drive, the taxi arrived at its destination and Hanzo payed the fare he owed the taxi's driver. Accepting the bills from the taxi's window, the driver recognized Hanzo's face from his many appearances on the news.

"Have you ever been on TV? You look familiar." The driver asked, unable to put his finger on who Hanzo actually was. But as it turned out, neither did he.

"I wouldn't know, you tell me!" Hanzo flashed the driver a smile and walked towards the doorstep of his house.

Feeling nervous from meeting his family for the first time in his eyes, Hanzo's finger remained in place. Inches from the doorbell, too apprehensive to continue.

"Just clear your mind and breathe." Hanzo spoke out loud to himself and finally rang the doorbell, his finger recoiling from the suddenness of the shrill sound.

"Father! You're alright!" Kubo raced towards his father and hugged him tightly, relieved that his father had arrived safely. Uncertain how to react, Hanzo smiled and patted Kubo on the head.

But before Kubo could say anything else, Sariatu intervened with a friendly suggestion that sounded amicable to a child on the surface, but spelled trouble for whoever she was about to converse with.

"Kubo, why don't you play in your room, while I talk to your father?"

"But I want to talk to him!" Kubo protested. His father had never arrived home this late and Kubo was anxious to hear his reason for it.

"Do as your mother says, uh… son." Hanzo struggled with finding the last word. The idea that the boy before him was his son, still feeling quite new to him.

With Kubo out of earshot Sariatu proceeded to scold her tardy husband. "What happened? We were getting worried! You promised him you'd always come home, no matter what happened at work!"

"I… can't remember." Hanzo admitted sheepishly, slightly afraid of his wife's well-intentioned, but frightening angry words.

"Were you really so busy that you can't even recall anything to use as an excuse?" Sariatu posed a question that Hanzo would have to answer carefully.

"No! I _mean_ , I can't remember _anything_!" Hanzo answered her sincerely.

"Go on."

"I opened my eyes and there was darkness. When I turned on the lights, I was in a strange room with a desk that had a photo of a family I didn't even recognize. And now, all I'm left with is a bruise on my head and no memories to call my own." Hanzo elaborated, the sadness of recent events clear in his voice.

"I understand. I'll go talk with Kubo." Sariatu turned towards the direction of Kubo's bedroom.

"But I didn't catch _your_ name." Hanzo's charming words stopping Sariatu in her tracks.

"My name is Sar—."

"Serious lady?" Hanzo made an observant quip.

" _Sariatu._ And at least your sense of humour is still intact." Sariatu remarked with a wry smile.

Knocking on the door, Sariatu entered Kubo's room, but before she could even speak, Kubo quickly spoke up with a pressing question. "Mother, why was father late?"

"Your father is a bit confused at the moment, he's forgotten a few things." Sariatu explained, understating the extent of her husband's amnesia for Hanzo's sake.

"Did he forget where we live?" Kubo asked, in a surprisingly understanding way for a boy his age, making Sariatu smile.

"Did he forget about _us_?"

That question, Sariatu was not prepared for. It pained her to see her son take his father's affliction so personally.

"No! Your father would never forget about us, no matter what state his memory was in. We just need to be patient with him. Can you do that for me, Kubo?"

"Yes, mother."

"Good night Kubo. Don't stay up late reading comic books again, OK?"

"I won't!" Kubo promised and shoved his _Mighty Beetle Warrior_ comic book under his pillow for later reading when his mother had left.

Hanzo struggled with finding sleep that night, haunted by a nightmare of an intruder seeking to cause him harm. He looked at the still figure of his wife, looking so peaceful in her slumber. If only he could find such peace, he thought.

Closing the bedroom door quietly, Hanzo left the room and turned towards the corridor that lead to the kitchen. Hanzo wasn't expecting to see any light in the house at this hour of the night, yet a sliver of light remained, coming from the gap between the floor and Kubo's bedroom door.

Opening the door slightly and peering through, Hanzo saw the silhouette of a boy reading a book with a flashlight, projected over the blanket draped over him.

"Your mother's asleep Kubo, you don't have to read under the covers." Hanzo informed Kubo, guessing that it was Sariatu who had told him not to read at night.

Hearing Hanzo's voice all of a sudden, Kubo sprang back a little into his propped up pillow and switched off the flashlight in a hurry.

Coming to Kubo's aid, Hanzo lifted up the blanket and sat on the edge of Kubo's mattress.

"Didn't mean to scare you there… Kubo. So what was so important that you couldn't wait until tomorrow to read?"

"This! _Mighty Beetle Warrior_. He's a mighty samurai cursed by a witch to have the body of Beetle. He stops greedy bandits and saves princesses!" Kubo showed Hanzo the cover of his comic book and explained its premise excitedly, thrilled that his father was taking an interest in his favourite comic book.

"Have we read this together before?" Hanzo asked, but regretted asking such a question when he heard the answer.

"No. You're usually too busy with work to read with me." Kubo answered him honestly and looked down to avoid his father's gaze.

Though it hurt to hear the truth, Hanzo realized that some good could come out of his memory loss. He now had a chance to make things right, by spending more time with his son.

"I won't be going to work tomorrow. Do you want to read Mighty Beetle Warrior together, after school?"

"Yes!" Kubo exclaimed and hugged his father. And for the first time that evening, Hanzo truly felt at peace.

The next day, Kubo's class went on a field trip to a museum in the city. He liked the samurai exhibits the most and the decorative fans, but the insect collections creeped him out. As the collective class moved on to the next exhibit, led by Mrs. Kameyo, Kubo noticed something lurking in the shadows.

Standing with their back against the wall was a person dressed in black, wearing a red and white kitsune mask. Flexing their fingers, the mysterious stranger conjured up electric blue wisps of fire.

Kubo watched as the flames flew towards the glass stand of an ancient mask piece and seeped under the glass, filling the case with flames. The glass shattered from the expansion of flames, scattering shards of glass in multiple directions, causing the museum visitors to scream in fear. Frozen to the spot with fear, Kubo kept his eye locked on the mask as it glided, suspended by the flames into the hands of the thief.

With the mask piece secured, the thief made their escape, dissipating into the shadows. Once they had gone, Camellia; the girl who had tried to take a look at Kubo's drawing the day before, approached Kubo and placed a hand on his shoulder. Stunned by what he had witnessed, Kubo said nothing and wiped a tear from his eye.

"A museum in Tokyo has been robbed of a priceless artefact by what eyewitnesses describe as a person wielding "magical blue fire." Police have no explanation for this supposed supernatural phenomenon, but urge the public to proceed with caution should they encounter such an individual, who they describe as "a danger to public safety.

"Mother, is what they said on TV true? Am I dangerous?" Kubo asked, once the new report had concluded.

Eyes widening, Sariatu quickly turned off the television with the remote, so as to not upset Kubo any further.

"That's not true Kubo, your powers are a gift. It's the people who abuse magic who are dangerous."

"Are you sure?" Kubo persisted his questions, still doubtful on the perceptions of magic, the people around him held.

"Yes!" Sariatu and Hanzo answered in unison, silencing any doubts that Kubo might have had.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was fun figuring out how Hanzo would get back home, how he'd act around his 'new' family and establishing conflict with the villain.**


	3. Deception

Going to school the next day proved to be a difficult task for Kubo. Witnessing a robbery in progress and unable to do anything about it, coupled with the fear of the public's reaction to magic; a power he possessed, had left Kubo with a feeling of guilt and insecurity that was starting to affect his studies.

Reluctant in his work and unengaged in what his teacher had to say, Kubo's mind retreated to the realm of imagination and he began to day dream. What was once Mrs Kameyo's loud and clear voice was now reduced to an indistinct murmur. The chairs and desks of Kubo's classmates transformed into walls, paintings and glass stands, the classroom taking the appearance of what seemed to be an art collection. And in the middle of it all, stood the perpetrator of the museum theft. Smiling as they helped themselves to another piece of mask, as if teasing the recipient of the vision.

That was the moment when Kubo realized that this was no mere day dream. This was a premonition about the future and he had to do something.

"Kubo! The teacher is asking you a question!" Camellia whispered, breaking Kubo out of his reverie.

"How much stronger is a monkey's sense of smell compared to us?" Camellia whispered Kubo a clue, wishing to spare him the embarrassment of being unable to answer the question in front of the class.

"Ten times! Mrs Kameyo." Kubo answered.

"Very good. I see you were paying attention during our field trip." Mrs Kameyo praised Kubo's attentiveness.

"Thanks for the save." Kubo gave his thanks in a hushed tone.

"Don't mention it." Camellia smiled at Kubo. Her eagerness to help him and her smile, giving him the support he needed to keep his focus up and endure the rest of the day.

With Hanzo in the passenger seat of her car, listening to the radio, Sariatu drove towards Kubo's school to pick him up. As a news bulletin ended on the radio, a memory flashed in Hanzo's mind.

"That news report the other day… I've remembered something. The person who broke into my office, they stole something from me as well. Like the piece of mask that was stolen from the museum."

"You mean the eyes of your father's mask you keep on your desk? Could they be related?" Sariatu asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"I have a hunch they are." Hanzo answered in a foreboding tone.

After a few minutes of driving, they had arrived at Kubo's school. Parking the car, Sariatu and Hanzo waited for Kubo to show up. No sooner had she parked, than Kubo opened the car door and climbed inside.

"Hey Kubo! What did you learn in school today?" Hanzo asked, turning his head around from the front seat to face his son.

"Things." Kubo simply replied with a cheeky grin on his face.

"What _kinds_ of things?" Hanzo emphasized, trying to coax the knowledge Kubo had learned out of him.

"Monkeys!" Kubo answered, cherry picking his favourite part of the day's classes.

Eyebrows raising at the answer, Hanzo continued to press for information. " _And?_ "

"And maths and the different parts of a boat and…" Kubo complied and gave his father the boring answer he wanted to hear.

"Mother, can you drop me off here? A friend invited me to his place." Kubo changed the subject. He had told his parents about his day. It was the least they could do.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you there? Where does your friend live?" Sariatu checked with Kubo as he stepped out the car.

"It's OK Mother, it's close." Kubo reassured her and waved good-bye.

"OK then, but be back before five!" Sariatu reminded him and drove away.

Pulling his Mighty Beetle Warrior comic book out of his school bag, Kubo looked to its pages for guidance. As the Mighty Beetle Warrior exacted his revenge on the witch who cursed him, Kubo's resolve was sealed. He would find the art collection in his vision and stop the thief from stealing the piece of the mask. That would be his revenge.

Taking out a piece of paper from his back and his shamisen from his guitar case, Kubo made an origami figure of a bird and began strumming his shamisen, bringing the bird to life.

He then told it: "Find the mask."

Obeying its master's words, the bird rose up and flew towards its destination, with Kubo running in close pursuit.

Chasing after the bird until he was panting heavily, Kubo finally arrived at the location of the vision. A private residence with a separate building, serving as a venue for an art collection.

Squeezing through the gap created by a dislodged plank of wood in the fence, Kubo had overcome the first obstacle. Now facing the private building, Kubo noticed the backdoor was ajar. That meant that the owner was around somewhere, but it also meant that Kubo did not have to worry about unlocking the door.

Entering the building, Kubo saw a vast arrangement of paintings depicting flowers, starry nights and grand landscapes. But as Kubo took stock of his surroundings, the thief who was already on the scene, held the piece of mask in their hands. Noticing Kubo's presence, the thief cursed, "YOU!" Recognizing Kubo from the museum.

"You're not going to steal any more masks, because I'm going to stop you." Kubo declared with a firm voice.

"I'd like to see you try, little boy!" The thief taunted, aiming a ball of flame towards Kubo's head.

Parking the car near the driveway of their house, Sariatu sensed that her son was in imminent danger.

"Kubo's in trouble! We have to go back!"

Screaming as the ball of flame hurtled towards him, Kubo ducked out of its path, narrowly missing having his hair singed. Taking an assortment of origami arrows he had folded beforehand out of his bag, Kubo launched them at the thief by playing his shamisen, igniting them with the power of his magic as they neared their target. One of the arrows met their mark, making the thief drop the mask.

Luckily for them, the thief caught the mask before it hit the floor. With their eyes on the ground, the thief noticed the rest of the arrows that had missed their target burning on the ground. Out of spite, the thief threw the burning arrows at a stack of paintings on the ground, setting them ablaze.

It was then that the owner of the gallery finally made their appearance. Entering the gallery through the front door, witness to a scene filled with flames and smoke and two arsonists standing in the middle of it. Dropping his shamisen in fright from the surprise appearance of the owner, Kubo's shamisen played a sour note as it hit the ground. Quickly picking it up, Kubo made his escape through the back door, while the thief dissipated into the shadows.

Seeing a familiar white car near the road, Kubo ran towards it, swiftly opened the door and got in.

"Kubo! What did you do?" Hanzo asked, alarmed by the whole scenario.

"I had a vision of the thief at the museum stealing another mask. I tried to stop him."

"It's OK Kubo, but we'll have to lay low for a while. My brother Hatori owns a house not far from here, we'll be safe there." Hanzo tried to comfort a despondent looking Kubo.

* * *

 **Thank you very much for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it and would love to know your thoughts on it.  
This was the second hardest chapter to write since it involved writing about Kubo facing both an internal and external battle, but it was worth the trouble because it ties into the final chapter nicely.  
**


	4. Retribution

The inside of uncle Hatori's mansion was lavish and vast. Decorated with antique paintings on the walls, but outfitted with modern conveniences such as a wall mounted television, a pool table and a large sofa. The interior of Hatori's home exuded a sense of luxury that left Kubo in awe.

"Brother, you probably don't recognize him, since the last time you met he was just a baby, but this is my son, Kubo." Hanzo introduced Kubo to his brother.

"How could I forget the face of your _little boy?_ It's a pleasure to see you again, Kubo." Hatori smiled and shook Kubo's hand. His words seemed amicable enough, but there was something familiar about the way he said them. As Hatori withdrew his arm, Kubo spotted several red marks on the palm of his hand, prompting him to whisper to his mother. "Mother, uncle Hatori has burns on his hands."

"He must have burned them trying to light his fireplace." Sariatu gave Kubo a likely explanation, uncertain why Kubo had chosen to tell her this.

Seeing that he wasn't getting through to her, Kubo whispered urgently with more convincing argument.

"But his clothes smell like smoke and his voice sounds like the man who set the paintings on fire!"

Realizing what Kubo was alluding to, Sariatu urged him to keep his voice down.

Looking around the lounge room to find any new additions to use as a conversation starter, Hanzo noticed several wads of cash littered on the coffee table.

"I see that gambling has played out well for you. You don't have happen to have a good luck charm you can lend me, do you?" Hanzo made a joke about the suspicious looking currency.

"Oh, I have one or _three_ lucky trinkets, I recently acquired." Hatori brought the subject up in a smug way.

Looking around for a means of escape, Kubo noticed something familiar on the coffee table; an assembled mask, consisting of three pieces. Trying to warn his father of the danger that was standing right beside him, Kubo walked around the coffee table and not so subtly pointed to the mask placed upon it.

Getting the hint, Hanzo gave his brother an allusion of his own. "I used to have a lucky charm in my office, but someone _stole it_."

"Tough luck." Hatori remarked without a hint of remorse.

"Nice mask you got there. It looks just like the one in my office and the piece stolen from the museum." Hanzo retorted to the callous remark.

"You surprise me, Hanzo! You figured it out a lot quicker than I ever expected. But you always were such a fast learner." Hatori used the compliment to his brother to divert attention away from himself, as he slanted his arm to pick up the mask unnoticed.

"Hand over the mask, Hatori." Hanzo demanded with a stern voice. His brother's transgressions making the responsibility of ensuring the return of the mask to their proper owners to fall upon him.

"I can't do that, brother."

"Then I will have to take it from you." Hanzo made his intentions clear.

"I'm not going to harm you Hanzo, but I can't make any promises about your wife and son." Hatori assured Hanzo of his safety and placed the mask on his face.

The power within, enveloping Hatori in golden smoke. Transmogrifying his body into a creature created from the sum parts of the animals depicted on each piece of the mask; the head of a golden heron, the body of a fox and the tongue and fangs of a viper.

"Why are you doing this?" Hanzo asked, horrified at the sight of his brother's transformation.

"Why? Because ever since you met _her_ , her family has treated us with nothing but contempt, because mortals like us aren't worthy of associating with a _divine_ family like theirs. But now that I have power to rival their own, I can show them what our family is truly capable of!" Hatori explained with venom in his voice, shooting a ball of flame towards Sariatu and Kubo as he finished speaking.

"Get down!" Hanzo tackled his wife and son to the ground, making them land behind the sofa, out of harm's way from the surging flame.

"It was bad enough that your father slandered your own husband's company, Sariatu. But nearly bankrupting mine? That was poor taste, even for a politician" Hatori lectured his prey. Waiting for her to come out from her hiding spot.

"When I step out, take Kubo with you and run. He won't harm me." Hanzo instructed his wife.

"Promise me you'll come home in one piece." Sariatu clutched Hanzo's arms as she pleaded for his safe return.

"I promise."

"It's no use Hanzo, I can foresee your every move, smell you wherever you hide." Hatori boasted the powers of the mask with glee.

"Then I'll save you the trouble." Hanzo stepped out from behind the sofa with his arms spread out defiantly.

"Did I mention the mask can even make you do my bidding? So be a good little brother and take another nap."

Having paid close attention to Hatori, Hanzo had no idea that the very eye contact he had given his brother, had made him susceptible to his suggestions. And upon hearing those words, collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll, rendered unconscious by the mask's power of persuasion.

"Father!" Kubo exclaimed out of concern for his father, inadvertently revealing his location to Hatori.

"Your father is catching up on his sleep, Kubo. If you don't want to end up like him then stay out of the way!" Hatori warned his nephew.

Seeing that Kubo had gathered Hatori's attention, Sariatu ran towards a glass case containing an antique fan; an item she could use to channel her magic to take down Hatori.

"I didn't say you could leave!" Hatori blasted a fireball towards the glass case, the shards of glass cutting Sariatu across the face, sending her falling to the ground, unconscious.

"What now, Kubo? Are you going to go down like your mother and father?" Hatori scoffed as Kubo stepped out from behind the sofa, shamisen in hand.

"No, I'm not. You thought you could teach our family a lesson by stealing the mask and using it against us. But it only brought our family together. I spent time with my father, my mother told me she believed in me. Those memories give me courage. The courage to do this!"

Kubo struck the strings of his shamisen with a pick, sending a wave of magic towards Hatori, shattering the mask into pieces and reverting Hatori to his original state.

Running over to his mother to see if she was OK. Kubo gave her a hand and helped her to her feet.

Kneeling down beside his father, Sariatu followed after Kubo to where her husband lay down, still unconscious.

"Hanzo! Wake up!" Sariatu cried out, in an effort to wake her husband.

"I'm up!" Hanzo suddenly rose, his face now inches from his wife's. She smiled with relief now that her husband had finally awakened. He smiled back, but the smile faded when he saw the bleeding cut across her eye.

Furious at his wife's injury, Hanzo stood over Hatori's form lying on the floor.

"For what you have done, I can longer consider you my family." Hanzo cut his ties to his treacherous brother and left his home with his wife and son.

"Your loss…" Hatori quipped.

"It looks like our little fox servant has failed in his task, even _with_ the power I granted him. It's so hard to find good help nowadays. But at least I have the two of you." An old man sitting in his office announced to his audience of two.

"Find the remains of the mask and bring them to me." The old man commanded.

"Yes, Father." The two raven haired women answered in unison and took off.

* * *

 **If Kubo and the Two Strings was about Sariatu's personal story, then Kubo and the Heaven's mask is Hanzo's story. In the original movie Kubo lost his parents, but gained a grandfather. In this one Kubo still has his parents, but loses an uncle and gains a dangerous adversary that could threaten to tear his family apart in the future.**


	5. Healing

It wasn't easy coping with the ordeal of having one of their own turn against them. But with fresh sea air, abundant sunshine and plenty of activities to occupy their time, a cruise was exactly what their family needed to make their spirits soar.

Finding the best cruise they could afford, Kubo and his family boarded the next available one and set off for some well-deserved vacation time.

Getting a nice tan, dancing on the deck or watching a movie on the big screen. Choosing a favourite activity to do on a cruise was a difficult task. The choice for Hanzo however, was an easy one; eating from the buffet table. A service with a variety of selections to cater to his love of food and vast appetite.

Sariatu didn't much care for her husband's messy eating habits. Or her son starting the first course of his meal with ice-cream, followed by pizza. But her family were enjoying themselves, and for that she was grateful. And if it meant that she would be spared the responsibility of cooking for her family and doing a bad job of it, then she was happy to hold her tongue.

"Dad, can you get me some more lemon ice-cream, please?" Kubo asked his father, with an endearing grin. Cheeky boy. Sariatu thought. Trying to win his father over with a cute smile to save himself the short trip to the buffet table. It worked too.

"Got it! Honey, do you want anything?" Hanzo asked his wife, being the considerate man that he was.

"That chickpea salad was nice." Sariatu remarked, being partial to foods with a crunchy texture.

"OK. I'll be back in a tick." Hanzo told them and went to retrieve the desired foods from the buffet table. While Hanzo was doing that, Sariatu took this opportunity to bring up the topic of food with Kubo.

"So Kubo, what's your favourite food you've eaten today?"

"Pizza." Kubo answered with a grin. Sariatu was not surprised by this. Though she tried her hardest to cook healthy, tasty meals for her family. The allure of junk food was always too strong for her son to resist.

"Anything else?" Sariatu prompted him for another answer. Hopefully it was a different, healthier food.

"Ice-cream!" Kubo cried out cheerfully.

"Have you eaten anything else, _besides_ that today?" Sariatu asked. She had only seen Kubo eat pizza and ice-cream, but had hopes that he had eaten nutritious food when she wasn't looking.

"No." Kubo replied with no regrets, confirming her suspicions. But before Sariatu could even think about berating Kubo for his poor food choices, Hanzo returned with two plates of food.

"Here's that salmon you asked for." Hanzo placed a plate in front of Kubo, with a grilled fillet of salmon upon it.

"Dad, I asked for _lemon_ ice-cream, not salmon." Kubo reminded him.

"Heh, heh. Guess I only remembered the 'mon' part." Hanzo chuckled at his own mistake.

"And here's your… chicken?" Hanzo announced tentatively and placed the second plate in front of his wife.

"You only remembered the 'chick' part." Sariatu also corrected him. Though she would not laugh out loud, she certainly was laughing on the inside. Her husband had always been a funny man. That's what she loved about him. He made others laugh without even trying.

Giggling at both his father's mistakes, Kubo remembered his manners and thanked his father.

"Thank you, for bringing it anyway. I'll still eat it." Kubo proceeded to cut the fish into large pieces, so he could fit as much of it in his mouth as fast as possible. A habit he had picked up from his voracious father.

"Looks like all that memory loss didn't completely go away." Sariatu dryly remarked, poking fun at her husband's lapse in memory, showing that despite all they had been through, she could still recognize the humour in the situation.

"What? No! I forgot things even _before_ , I got hit on the head." Hanzo protested, not wanting the blame to be fully placed on his head trauma. Which was strange, Sariatu thought. Most people would be glad to blame their forgetfulness on something beyond their control. Her husband was strange like that, but it was charming in a way.

Two hours passed and the family had eaten to their satisfaction, until no food could tempt them into eating any more. With their stomachs full, Kubo and his parents watched a movie in the ship's indoor theatre, enjoying the immersion that came with watching a film on the biggest available screen.

Having finished the movie, Kubo was now in an excitable mood, eager for some action. So his parents took him to a place where he could best expend his energy; the ship's swimming pool.

Already gifted with an athletic physique. Swimming itself and holding his breath for long periods of time while submerged underwater, was another of Hanzo's numerous talents.

It was the empowering feeling that Hanzo enjoyed the most about swimming underwater. Pushing against the weight of the water with his muscles and defying his need to breathe for a few seconds at a time made him feel strong. But in a way, it also made him vulnerable.

" _I can see you_." Hanzo heard the voice of his brother taunting him, as a boy with goggles and a snorkel swam past him. He froze in that instant. Reliving the moment when he was helpless to stop his brother from hurting his family. Luckily, such a memory was cut short, when his need for oxygen drove him to rise to the surface.

Climbing the small ladder on the side of the pool, Hanzo went to join his wife who was reclining on a folding chair under the comforting shade of a parasol. Drying himself off with a towel, Hanzo lay on the folding chair besides her.

"That was quick. Did you get bored of swimming already?" She asked, knowing the tendency of her husband's mind to wander.

"No. It's not that." Hanzo brushed off her inquiry, trying to conceal what was bothering him.

"Then what is it?" Sariatu asked. If he wouldn't answer her last question, then she would ask for a straight answer this time.

"Being under the water and seeing someone with goggles on… It reminded me of that _mask_." Hanzo told her the truth, the displeasure of talking about it, evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry darling, I thought this cruise could take our mind off things."

"It's not your fault. But you're taking things much better than I am. Look at you, you used to love swimming. And now you can't because your scar is still healing." Hanzo deflected her sympathy and reminded his wife of her resilience in the face of what she had lost.

"That may be true, but seeing our son having the time of his life and having you by my side is all the healing I need." Sariatu agreed and kissed her husband on the cheek, to thank him for his support.

* * *

 **A/N: This is a companion piece to the main story, that explores how the characters are coping with what happened.  
**


End file.
